Why isn’t Eastbourne a city?
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There are many cities in the UK with smaller populations than Eastbourne which leads people to wonder why the seaside town isn’t given city status. Most recently, eight places became cities as part of celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee - Bangor, Colchester, Doncaster, Douglas, Dunfermline, Milton Keynes, Stanley, and Wrexham. Nearly 40 places applied for city status. Crawley was the only place in Sussex to apply and didn’t succeed.
Population isn’t the only deciding factor when it comes to deciding city status. It can be associated with having a cathedral or a university, or a particular form of local government. In formal terms UK city status is granted by the monarch, on the advice of ministers. There is no mechanism for towns to make ‘unsolicited bids’ to gain city status. A spokesperson for Eastbourne Borough Council said no application for city status has been made or even considered.